Flight attendant reveals the five items of clothing you should never wear on planes

A flight attendant has revealed the types of clothing she avoids wearing on a plane because of the hidden dangers they pose.

When it comes to travelling by plane, there are plenty of common things people do that experts actually recommend against, like tying ribbons to luggage or drinking the tea and coffee served onboard.

The unspoken rules also apply to clothing you wear onboard a plane, according to American Airlines flight attendant Andrea Fischbach.

Speaking to Who What Wear, Fischbach said “it is possible to dress comfortably and still look chic” but comfort is just one of the benefits.

Avoid tight clothes

She explained that you should avoid wearing anything “constricting” and instead opt for something that allows for good blood circulation to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis that can occur when a blood clot forms.

“I would advise against anything really constricting,” Fischbach said. “You want to get the most comfortable you can be to avoid cramping, swelling, and anything that can affect you later.

“If you are tall, travel a lot, or are on a long flight, this is extremely important because you face the risk of developing DVT.”

Cover your skin

It may be the furthest thing from your mind but clothing on flights can actually become a real concern when there is a fire. Clothing made from flammable materials or with additional features like fringe would be a no-no.

“Going a bit extreme here, but there is always a risk with long fringe should the plane have a fire,” she said. “While our uniforms have polyester in them, I always wonder and worry myself that they could be a hazard if they got too close to extreme heat and melt on us.”

Fischbach recommends having your body covered by wearing long sleeves and trousers to protect your skin if you ever have to use the emergency slide.

“Emergency slides are not fun to go down and hurt a lot. And it's not a smooth landing once you reach the end of the slide,” she explained. “The more you cover the surface of your skin, the more protection for your largest organ.”

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Wear sensible shoes

Footwear also becomes significant in the event of an emergency if passengers have to evacuate the plane fast.

Fischbach explained: “High heels and backless sandals make it difficult to quickly evacuate the aircraft and heels can possibly cause further damage to emergency exits or hurt others if they go flying off somehow.

“I would really advise against high heels or flip-flops or any slides, mostly for safety purposes.”

Avoid accessories and jewellery with metal

Hold-ups at security can put a dampener on the pre-holiday vibes, so Fischbach recommends avoiding wearing jewellery or any accessories with metal in them to help prevent you from being flagged by the machines.

She recommends avoiding anything “with large metal adornments” or “anything studded, which some TSA agents might not allow through”.

Another tip she suggests is to “take off all jewellery before I get to the airport and keep it in a convenient place for after I get through security”.

Wear layers

Planes can go through varying degrees of temperature throughout a flight, so it’s important to dress appropriately to cope with every condition. Fischbach explained dressing in too little clothing is a common mistake she sees a lot.

“Practically every flight, I see someone with barely any clothes on – crop tops with booty shorts; sports bras and leggings sans jacket; bathing suits and board shorts. You name it; chances are we’ve seen it,” she explained.

“And practically every time we see this, these are the people who want a blanket on flights we don’t provide them on. We all know aeroplanes are freezing, and it’s just common sense to dress for it.”

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